India Flint at the Festival of Quilts 2019

Posted on Nov 22, 2019 by

India Flint is a pioneer of eco printing. Here are some pictures of her exhibit at the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham:

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Log cabin at the Festival of Quilts 2019

Posted on Nov 20, 2019 by

Today’s theme is the log cabin block.

A scrappy  log cabin is great fun to do, but scale is important, as the block grows quickly.

Unless you are using tiny strips, which gives a lovely result. In one of these pictures, you can see my hand, for scale.

Some of these pictures from the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, have been included in previous posts. But that map is certainly worth another look:

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Clothing and dolls at the Festival of Quilts 2019

Posted on Nov 14, 2019 by

There are always some sections at these quilting events where things other than quilts are on display.

These three dimensional works often result in clothing, and in the case of the Festival of Quilts 2019, also dolls.

I’m not sure if I like the asymetric fronts of this military style jacket. I’m not convinced that there is enough difference.

But I do like the sleeves.

And here is a flavour of the other oarts of this section:

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Producing your own linen

Posted on Nov 12, 2019 by

Flax is a beautiful delicate flower. And it produces a fibre that has been in use for many centuries. I wonder when people started to turn against it just because it creases easily? Must look into that.

Anyway, a great deal of work goes into producing linen, as this flax timeline demonstrates. Those of us who are not in Sweden will have to adjust the plan, obviously, but quite a lot of it can be done outside, when the weather is nice. I don’t think I will be giving it a try yet.

This video from the Victoria and Albert museum is also interesting.

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Landscapes at the Festival of Quilts 2019

Posted on Nov 8, 2019 by

These landscape quilts from the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham really show what can be done with a pictorial quilt.

Some are full blown pictures, while others use blocks to show the skyline in a different way.

This quilt of boats on a beach needs a collage of its own:

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Leah Higgins at the Festival of Quilts 2019

Posted on Nov 5, 2019 by

This week’s post from the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, comes from a display called Deconstruction-Reconstruction-Evolution Leah Higgins. She took inspiration from industries that have touched her life, and mapping change.

And in doing so, she has created some lovely shapes and colours:

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Jubilee quilt at the Festival of Quilts 2019

Posted on Nov 1, 2019 by

Now here is a classic scrappy quilt embellished with embroidery, from the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.

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Baltimore Album quilts at the Festival of Quilts 2019

Posted on Oct 30, 2019 by

These Baltimore Album quilts, on display at the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, are from the collection of the International Quilt Study Center.

The technique developed from the tradition of floral applique, and this particular variety became popular in the Baltimore district of Maryland between 1845 and 1854.

You can see why they were selected for this year’sbrocure cover and poster, can’t you?

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Unusual techniques at the Festival of Quilts 2019

Posted on Oct 25, 2019 by

I can’t beleive that it is the end of October, and I’m still working through my pictures from the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.

The group today show what you can do with a slightly unusual technique and a little imagination.

The first picture shows that, while sewing together squares of old shirts might sound ordinary, thinking about using the raw edges as a feature can liven things up considerably.

Plain fabric is usually quilted in a matching thread, but using a coloured thread really brings out the pattern. This example is particularly striking, as not only has blue been quilted with its complementary colour, orange, but the stitching is more intensive in some areas, adding additional dimentional contrast. In a venue full of DO NOT TOUCH signs, for obvious reasons, an official was on hand to show how the edging included brightly contrasting fabric:

This double sided piece made of hexagons was getting a lot of attention. It is a lovely idea, but one of those where you would need to plan round your display space. I’m guessing most of us don’t have a place where this could be properly appreciated:

And finally for today, a demonstration of how some simple folding techniques can give a quilt design a lift:

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Behind the scenes at York’s new Georgian fashion exhibition at Fairfax House

Posted on Oct 22, 2019 by

Picture from the York Press

I can’t say I’m a big fan of Georgian fashion. Many of the wigs were too tall, and they all look too hot and itchy.

And then there is the width of the skirt, which defies logic.

However, just look at these embroidered roses! I have to go to York next week for the last ordinary York Editors’ meeting of 2019, so I am tempted to make a diversion to Fairfax House for their exhibition: The Georgian Edit: Cutting Edge Fashion of the Eighteenth Century. I’m guessing that this is a trip that should not be combined with a Christmas lunch.

Even if you aren’t going to be able to get to York before 31st December when the exhibition closes, the photos in the York Press articles are worth a look.

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